On poster, Maanagaram is a two hero subject about Sundeep Kishan, who is a socially responsible rude youngster who gets into fights at will and the other Sri, a kind-hearted recent migrant to Chennai in search of work. But the film also has other characters which are equally important.
The filmmaker succeeds brilliantly in weaving multiple stories together, taking the time to explore the depth of characters and relationships. The suspense is built in such a way that the audience gets totally engrossed in what is happening on the screen. The storyline is complex yet not mystifying, and it's done with consistent technical brilliance.
Maanagaram marks the debut of a new director Lokesh Kanagaraj whose passion towards cinema is clear. His hard work is evident right through to have pulled up an exhilarating hyperlink film. He deserves a lavish praise! It is not one of those films where multiple stories forcefully converge into one. Here everything is so well-knit and coherent. And what’s more special is, it is super engaging. The screenplay looks fresh enough to hold the audience’s attention right through. It knocks you out with an astonishing blend of thrill, humor, and emotions. This is a serious crime thriller which travels in an eloquent manner overflowing with memorable acting, unforgettable images, and unexpected humor.
The film wastes no time and gets into the story right away. The second scene of the film takes place in a bar and what better place to establish all your characters; a place where you could find different kinds of people. The different perspectives of the leads start off from that scene and form a base to multiple storylines that converge into one. Scene wise you could hardly pick one and say it is not important to the script. But what could have been avoided are the melodies. Although they were short in runtime, they impact us mentally especially when the core plot is full of suspense. The Regina song in the second half may be just a one minute number, but it also helps to elevate the suspense moment that comes just after. However, you tend to get a little restless due to the song placement.
Maanagaram is an upcoming thriller film directed by Lokesh Kanagaraj, starring Sundeep Kishan , Shri and Regina Cassandra in the lead roles. Music for the film is composed by Javed Riaz.
Iravu Vettai Aaduthey
Singer: Suraj Jagan
Lyrics: Lalithanand
Rendered by the famous rock and indie-pop singer Suraj Jagan, the intense rock-based track involves simple guitar riffs and electronic beats complementing each other. The lead guitar interludes with a distortion effect add to the dark effect to go with the thriller film.
Song: Yendi Unna Pidikkuthu
Singer: Karthik
Lyrics: Lalithanand
A feel-good solo track in multi-faced singer Karthik's voice looks to be a typical love song with the lyrics connoting to the hero's speculation on his love. The bass lines and the acoustic guitars by the super talented Keba Jeremiah set the happy vibe rolling and the change of an engaging groove with the use of tapes will get you going.
Song: Vaazhvey Oru Poro
Singers: Sharanya Gopinath, Suraj Jagan, Lawrence
Lyrics: Lalithanand
Another Suraj Jagan number which also involves Sharanya Gopinath and Lawrence in vocals is a dark number relating to the genre of the movie. The track mostly involves keyboard programming done by the composer Riaz and ably supported by Keba in guitars.
Song: Thollai Seiyum Kadhal
Singer: Aarthi N Ashwin
Lyrics : Lalithanand
A romantic solo track rendered euphoniously by Aarthi looks to be a slow unplugged number. The romantic feel of the track is equally due to a well-played solo flute interlude and the complementing chord-progression with strings which also adds an aesthetic value and gives a wholesome effect to the listener.
Song: It's a Story
Singer: Sharanya Gopinath
Lyrics: Anthony Faze
The guitar riffs in the track look similar to Iravu Vettai Aaduthey but the highlight of the track being the timber in Sharanya Gopinath’s silvery voice and her ability to reach extreme octaves with ease . The song just like it’s predecessors looks to contemplate towards the movie’s genre.